


Stranger Things Drabbles

by beatlelover22



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Cold, Common Cold, Gen, Illnesses, Parental Steve Harrington, Sick Character, Sickfic, Sneezing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-07-09 17:56:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 6,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19891948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beatlelover22/pseuds/beatlelover22
Summary: Nancy's grocery shopping when a store clerk's perfume sets her off.





	1. Captain Steve

“Ooh,” Robin said as soon as Steve walked in for his shift. “You do _not_ look so hot.” 

She was right. Steve’s normally perfect hair was slightly disheveled and his forehead gleamed with what Robin could only assume was sweat. His cheeks and nose were pink, a stark contrast to the dark circles under Steve’s eyes. His sniffled miserably and wiped his nose on shoulder of his T-shirt. 

“Gee, thanks.” 

Robin watched him go through the motions of what he usually did, right when he began his shift: wash hands, breath check, hair check and most importantly… hat on. What he usually didn’t do was sneeze. 

Even though she watched his nostrils twitch and saw his eyelids flutter shut, Robin still jumped when she did it.

“ _Heh’ **ESHH!**_ ” His hat drooped forward, covering his eyes. “ _Hahh… ih! Ih’ **TSCSCHH!**_ ”

“Bless you,” Robin said, giving him a glance. “Are you sure you should be at work?”

“Robin, Robin, Robin…” Steve sniffed and adjusted his hat, smiling at her. “Of course I should be at work. Besides, I couldn’t miss the—” His eyes squinted. “ _Hap’ **SHUHH!**_ I can’t miss the women.” 

Robin rolled her eyes and snatched a paper towel out of the dispenser. Steve waved her away. “Ew, I don’t deed thad.” 

“Do you hear yourself? How are you supposed to attract the girls if you sound like you’re underwater?” She waited for an answer, but realized he was gearing up for anther sneeze and shoved the paper towel into his hands.

“ _Heh’ **SCSHH!**_ ” Steve buried his nose into it and blew, massaging his sore nose as he did.

“Jesus, Harrington. That’s a lot of snot.” 

Steve groaned. “Ugh, Robin, don’t be disgusting. Today’s the day, I can feel it.”  
“Me?” Robin asked, incredulous. “Me? I’m the disgusting one? You’re the one with—”

Suddenly, Steve spotted a group of women coming toward the ice cream shop. “Shit, shit, it’s go time. Play it cool, play it cool.” 

“I always play it cool,” Robin grumbled, but made her way to the back to better watch the unfolding scene. 

As soon as the women were within earshot, Steve spun around and grinned at them.

“Ahoy, ladies!” he said loudly, effectively making one of the women in front of him jump back. “Welcome to Scoops Ahoy. Would you like to set sail on this ocean of fl-flavor with me? I’ll be your captain. I’m Steve Harrington.”

He cleared his throat and ran his wrist under his nose, trying desperately not to sneeze. The blonde in front of him was beautiful, but he could barely focus. 

“Sure. Can I get a sample of the—”

Steve felt the impending itch and his eyes began watering. “Actually could you _ehhh_ … e-excuse me?” He turned around, frantically searching for Robin, and she noticed the panic in his eyes. 

“ _H-hehh… ehh! Eht’ **TSSCHSH!**_ ” He was already walking toward the back, but the sneeze threw him off and he stumbled. Robin righted him, gave him an encouraging shove toward the back room and smiled at the customers. 

“Hi. What can I get you?” 

As the woman began sampling flavors, they could all hear Steve gasp.   
“ _Ahh! Ah’ **TSHHUH!** Huh… **SCSHISSSZH!**_ ”

“Um, is he okay?” the blonde asked, trying to peer around Robin and get a glimpse of Steve. 

Robin smiled, intentionally moving to block the customer’s view. “Oh yeah, he’s fine. He does this all the time.”


	2. Chef Nancy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nancy's grocery shopping when a store clerk's perfume sets her off.

As Nancy pushed the buggy down the aisle, her eyes followed the shelves of pasta and sauces. She was making dinner for the family later since her mother had been suffering from a migraine and it had to be good. Holly was picky sometimes.

She stopped in front of the sauces, her manicured finger trailing past the brand names. Ragu, Prego, Francesco Rinaldi. Hmm.

“Can I help you find anything, ma’am?” 

The voice came out of virtually nowhere and Nancy jumped, turning around. “Sorry?”

The young woman was beaming behind curly bangs. “Can I help you find anything, ma’am?”

“Oh!” Nancy smiled. “Sure, I was just looking for some, um…” 

She found herself inexplicably overwhelmed by fragrance — orange blossom, honeysuckle and maybe notes of jasmine? Nancy liked it, because it was bold, but it was a little… overpowering. She made the mistake of inhaling deeply and felt the unmistakable signs of an impending sneezing fit. 

“Oh, you know what? I a-actually think I _fahh_ … f-found it,” Nancy said awkwardly, grabbing a random jar of marinara.

“Are you sure? It’s really no problem if you need—”

Nancy knew she was going to sneeze, despite her dominant hand pressing firmly up against her nose, and a new wave of the perfume sent her over the edge.

“ _H-hih… hit’_ **TISH!** _Heh’_ _ **NNGT!** Hahh… h-ah!_ _**IXTSH!**_ ”

“Oh, bless you! Do you want me to—”

She desperately rubbed her nose, as if trying to rub the irritant away, then tried to get in another word she started hitching again.

“I actually th-think I found wha… what I’m l-looking for,” Nancy said, stumbling over her own words in an effort to get them out faster. The other young woman put her hand on her shoulder, as if trying to help Nancy over to the register, but Nancy could already feel her sinuses prickling again.

“ _O-oh! Hih’ **TSH!** H-heh… hh’ **XXT!**_ Th-thanks for y-your help — _**TSHH!**_ ” Nancy managed to hand a couple dollars into the clerk’s hand and turned away, abandoning her buggy and making her way toward the exit.

“Um, have a good day, ma’am!” the woman called out from behind her, but Nancy was too focused on finding the door through her bleary, watering eyes.


	3. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve babysits the kids while fighting a cold.

“Thank you so much Steve,” Joyce said on her way out the door. “I know Jonathan’s just a 10-minute drive away, but I’d really be more comfortable with another adult in the house while the kids are home.”

Steve nodded, smiling. “Of course, Mrs. Byers. I totally get it.” 

“And you’re sure you’re feeling okay? You look kind of…” 

“Yes ma’am, just tired,” Steve assured her, trying not to sniffle. He felt his nose running. “Nothing I can’t handle.” 

“Well, I’ll be back in a few hours, so—”

“Mom, we’re fine!” Will shouted from the living room. 

Joyce laughed nervously, stepping outside. “Okay, okay. I love you!”

The door closed behind her and Steve could hear the kids laughing in the living room. Mike, Eleven, Lucas and Max were all on a “double date,” as Steve preferred to put air quotes around it. Dustin and Will were currently watching God knows what on Joyce’s television. 

A sneeze snapped Steve out of his thoughts. “ _Hh’ **ETSSSCH!**_ ”

He brushed his hair out of his face and brought a crumpled tissue out of his pocket, blowing his nose before checking on the boys. 

Will was sitting in the recliner and Dustin was sprawled out, true to form, on the floor. 

“What are we watching?” Steve asked, plopping down on the couch. He resisted the urge to curl up with the afghan draped over the couch. 

“Jonathan let us rent _Weird Science_ ,” Will explained, tossing Steve the film cover. 

“Huh. Anthony Michael Hall. Hey, are you sure this is appropriate? Because I— _heh’ **TSSCH!**_ ” The sneeze completely snuck up on him and he shook his head as if to clear it. 

“Bless you. And yeah, it’s appropriate,” he said.

Steve’s head was pounding, possibly brought on by the TV’s bright light. He sighed softly, rubbing his temples. Joyce had been gone for 15 minutes and he was already losing it.

“Steve? Steve!”

Steve opened his eyes and Dustin was about 4 inches from his face. “Jesus! What’s wrong?”

“Can you make us some popcorn?”

Steve fought back a yawn. “Yeah, yeah. Hold on.” He swung his legs off the couch and sat up, the congestion prickling in his sinuses. “ _H-hih… hh’ **ATSCHH! HETSSSH!**_ ” 

“You look like shit,” Dustin told him, matter-of-factly. 

Steve groaned. “Just shut up and watch your movie. I’ll get the popcorn going.”

* * *

As the kernels exploded against the pot’s lid, Steve sat nearby, listening to the popping. He felt awful and what he wanted to do was go to bed. He might’ve felt better if it weren’t for all the sneezing. 

“ _H-hahhh… **APTSCHHH!**_ ” Steve sneezed into his shoulder and sniffled, pulling out the tissue and weakly blowing his nose into it. 

When he returned to the living room with a few bowls of popcorn, the boys were already laughing at the screen. 

“Bon appetite,” Steve said, setting the bowls down. “Need anything else while I’m up?”

“Nope! We’re good,” Will replied, snagging a bowl of popcorn. “Thanks, Steve.” 

Steve took the opportunity to effectively collapse into the couch. He found himself shivering and could tell he had a fever. During the next scene, Steve weakly groped for the afghan, pulled it over himself, and shuddered with the force of his sneeze. 

“ _Hh’ **ATSSCHHH!**_ ” 

“Bless you!” the boys said together, eyes glued to the screen. 

Somehow, Steve didn’t think they’d mind if he closed his eyes for a second. Within minutes, he was snoring lightly, the air whistling through his nose. 

“You think we should get him another blanket?” Will asked, glancing back at Steve’s flushed face. 

“Nah,” Dustin shook his head. “I think he’s warm enough.”


	4. A Sick Dingus

Robin watched Steve as he bent over a stack of movies, meticulously alphabetizing them. Hawkins’ local Family Video was empty this Saturday morning and had been eerily quiet. 

Steve too had been quiet. Well, not exactly quiet. He’d been “discretely” clearing his throat and wiping his nose all morning and was very obviously coming down with a cold. 

Robin watched his hand tremble as he moved a film to the top of the stack. His head bobbed as he sneezed, and he tried to muffle it against the sleeve of his pullover. “ _Hh’ **MCHMF!**_ ”

As he was carefully wiping the tip of his nose, Robin snuck up behind him and stood there patiently, waiting for the right moment.

“Was that a sneeze?” she asked loudly, causing Steve to start and lose his balance. 

He glared at her. “Really? What do you have to do that?”

“Because,” she said, rocking back on her heels playfully. “You’re sick.” 

Steve blushed, secretly angry that he would even be embarrassed about something as simple as catching a cold. “You wish. I don’t get sick, Robin.” 

“No? Why do you look like Rudolph then, huh?”

“I don’t,” he shot back, annoyed. “Besides, it’s like the middle of July.” 

Robin rolled her eyes. “You can still come down with a cold in summer. It’s pretty common, actually.” 

“What, are you a d-doctor?” His voice trembled with the need to sneeze, and he hated himself for it. 

“Uh oh, tough guy,” Robin said, smirking. “You look like you have to sneeze.” 

_Please for the love of God, don’t sneeze._ “I don’t.” Even as the words left his lips, Steve felt his nostrils flare. He pressed his knuckles up against his nose, begging it to behave. 

“You sure?” Robin was clearly getting some form of enjoyment out of Steve’s misery. 

His breathing was ragged and he knew the fight was lost. With an involuntary but dramatic gasp, Steve pitched forward into cupped hands with a barely-contained double. “ _H-hih’ **SSHHHP!** Heh’ **TSHHH!**_ ” 

“Bless—”

Steve held up a shaking finger before spasming again with a third sneeze that seemed to rip right through him. “ _Huh’ **RSHHOO!**_ ” 

“Bless you,” Robin said, finally. She watched him blink back tears and wipe his running nose with his sleeve. He was pitiful.

“You’re such a dingus,” she said, extending her hand and helping him to his feet. “How on Earth are we going to pick up girls with you sneezing your brains out all over the place?”


	5. Development

A picture truly was worth a thousand words. At least Jonathan thought so.   
It was certainly worth spending hours in the darkroom — studying negatives, choosing which images were keepers, which were not. It certainly was a rotten time to have a cold, though.

He felt his sinuses prickle and tried not to breathe through his nose. It didn’t matter, though. He knew he was going to sneeze. 

“ _Huh’ **TSHHHUH!**_ ”

Jonathan sniffled, turning back toward the table he was working on. He sniffed again, trying to stop his nose from running, and when he realized that wasn’t working, pulled out a crumpled napkin from his pocket and blew his nose.

He felt gross and if he wasn’t so self-conscious, he’d like Nancy to take care of him. Maybe they’d stay in, rent a scary movie, and he’d have actual tissues to blow his nose in. 

Jonathan shook his head, as if to clear it from all the pleasant, domestic scenarios he was playing out in his head. His nostrils twitched again and with a shaking gasp, he barely had time to get his hands up. 

“ _H-hih! Heh’ **SSHHHP!** Hh’ **RRSHHH!**_ ”

His head pounded and he contemplated going home for the day. _No, no, goddammit._ He was going to stay and finish processing these images if it was the last thing—

Suddenly, light flooded the room. As Jonathan squinted into the light, trying to see who the fuck opened the door, the brightness teased another sneeze out of him, without warning. Or two.

“ _ **TSHHHHHHUH!** H-hih’ **TSHHHH!**_ ”

“Bless you,” Nancy exclaimed, standing in the doorway. She held up a paper sack. “I brought you some lunch — chicken noodle.” 

He couldn’t even make himself get angry at the ruined images. Maybe he was too tired. 

“Yeah,” he said thickly. “Soup sounds great.”


	6. Love-Hate Relationship

It’d only been one day since Jonathan had beat Steve to a pulp and yet here they were together. Detention.

Jonathan was in the front desk, staring straight ahead, and Steve was seated at a desk behind him, sulking.

His eye was still swollen shut from where Jonathan hit him and Steve’s entire body ached. He shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable. 

The teacher at the front of the room shushed him without looking up from the book he was reading. Steve resisted the urge to roll his eyes and groan.   
Sitting in detention and in silence was a new type of torture. All Steve could think of was Nancy and how horrible he felt, physically and let’s face it, emotionally. 

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop and with a sinking feeling, Steve realized he was going to sneeze. He swallowed nervously, felt how sore his throat was, and before he could do anything real to stop himself, sneezed. 

“ _H-heh’ **SHHUHH!**_ ” A chill ripped through him and he felt his skin react with goosebumps. Come to think of it, maybe there was another reason he felt so achy. 

“Bless you,” the teacher said as he stood up. “I’m going to the teacher’s lounge. Not one of you move a muscle.” He glared at Jonathan and Steve before leaving. 

Steve sniffled and swallowed, feeling like there was a lump in his throat. He cleared it. 

“Can you quit?” Jonathan asked, turning around to look at him. 

“What are you looking at, freak?” It was a feeble attempt to sound mean. 

Jonathan rolled his eyes. “Your constant sniffing. It’s annoying.” 

Steve sniffled. “Oh, it’s annoying, is it? Yeah, by all means, I’ll stop.” He sniffled again, on purpose this time. Unfortunately, this one triggered another sneeze. 

“ _Hh’ **TSHHUHH!**_ ” Steve felt his eyes water and snapped forward with a second. “ _Heh’ **SHHH!**_ ” 

“Okay, now you’re just doing this on purpose.” 

But Jonathan stared at him and started to pick up on a few key details. Steve was pale and sweating, with dark circles under both eyes. His right eye was swollen shut and looked painful, and Jonathan felt a twinge of guilt. As Steve sniffled again, Jonathan watched his nostrils twitch.

“ _H-hahh… hah’ **SHHHUH!**_ ” Steve sneezed into his hands but heard Jonathan get up. 

He blearily opened his good eye, just in time to see Jonathan toss a handful of tissues in his general direction. Despite himself, Steve grabbed a few and buried his itching nose in them, blowing. 

“You know, it’s because your sneezing is so damn annoying,” Jonathan said. “I still think you’re an asshole.”

Steve shivered, teeth chattering. “I k-know. I hate you too.” 

Even so, he let Jonathan give him his jacket. 


	7. The Pullout

Murray loudly placed two yellow plates in front of his guests. “Breakfast is served.”

Jonathan and Nancy were staying at Murray’s place for a few days and both of them were feeling pretty good, having made a solid plan to expose Hawkins Lab. Well, one of them was feeling good. One of them wasn’t.

“ _Heh’ **KGNNNT!**_ ” Jonathan had a knuckle pressed against the underside of his nose, as if that could help contain it.

“Bless you,” Nancy said, looking down at her plate of eggs.

The three sat in relative silence, the only sounds being Jonathan’s quiet sniffling and the scraping of fork on plate.

“So, Jonathan,” Murray began. “How was the pullout?”

Jonathan choked on his orange juice, some of it dribbling down his lip.

“I’m sorry?”

“The sofa.”

Murray was talking about the sleeping situation, obviously. The pullout couch.

“It was, uh,” Jonathan trailed off, rubbing at his nose. “Good. A little drafty in there though.”

“I bet it was,” Murray said, grinning.

Nancy tried to focus on what she was eating, but ended up making nervous conversation. “You know, these are so good. These eggs are just… perfect. And the orange juice, I mean, is this homemade?”

Before Murray had time to give her a sarcastic reply, Jonathan was sneezing again.

“ _Heh’ **XXXXT!**_ Oh. E-ehh… excuse m-me,” he stammered, turning away from the table and stifling into a napkin. “ _Hih’ **TTTSH!**_ ”

He sheepishly rubbed his nose, looking down at his plate too.

“Bless you,” Nancy said again, this time looking concerned. “Are you okay?”

“F-fine,” Jonathan told her. “ _Juhhh_ … j-just something’s irritating my— _hh’ **SHHHP!** AH’ **XXXNT!**_ ”

Next to them, Murray laughed. “Oh, you two.”

“What?” Nancy snapped, annoyed. “What’s funny?”

“You’re going to be sneezing too, soon enough,” Murray said. “Just give it two days. A cold usually takes about two days to come on anyway.”


	8. Lasting

When Robin walked in late to her shift, Steve didn’t really think too much about it. But when he got closer and saw her red-rimmed, watering eyes, he assumed the worst.

“Are you… crying?”

She threw her hands up in the air, frustrated. “Why does everyone think that? Can’t I be miserable in other ways?”

Robin made her way behind the counter and sniffled, scrubbing roughly at her nose with the palm of her hand. She gasped dramatically twice and sneezed into cupped hands. “ _H-hih’ **NNNGT!** Hh’ **XXXXT!** _Ugh.”

Steve gave her what he imagined was a sympathetic look. “Sick?”

“No, it’s worse,” Robin said thickly, wiping her nose on her wrist. “Allergies.”

She collapsed into a chair and put her head in her hands, groaning. “Can’t spring be over?”

“Uh, it just started,” Steve said, oblivious to the idea of a rhetorical question.

Robin glared at him through bleary eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but instead her mouth went slack and she gasped again, breath hitching. “O-ohh, for f-fuck’s _sahhh_ … s-sake— _hh’ **KKKNT!** Hah’ **RSHHHT!**_ ”

Steve started at her, unsure what to do. “Do you want me to run and get you some… uh, something?”

She shook her head, sniffling. “No. Nothing helps. Not really.”

“I’m sure it’ll get better. We’ve only got…” Steve craned his neck around to get a glimpse of the time. “We’ve only got six more hours.”

“I c-can’t last that l-long,” Robin said in between tiny gasps before she snapped forward with another pair of head-bobbing, half-stifled sneezes. “ _H-hih’ **GNNNT!** Ahh… hahhH! Hah’ **SHHHH!**_ ”


	9. Straight Denial

Steve’s shift began about an hour before Robin’s, so when he finally caught glimpse of her in the vicinity, riding in on her bike, he smiled. Finally.

The pair had become even better friends since starting at Family Video and it was really nice to have a friend — a genuine friend who cared.

“Afternoon, dingus,” Robin greeted him as she swung the door open. The tip of her nose was a bright red, like she’d been rubbing at it all morning, and her cheeks were pink.

“You’re sick, aren’t you?” Steve said as she made her way behind the counter to clock in.

“Nope,” she chirped, smiling. “What g-gave you _thah_ … th-that idea?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Huh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that—”

“ _H-hihhh… hih’ **XXXT!**_ ” Robin’s pinched her nose shut to stifle the sneeze as her head bobbed forward. “ _Hh’ **NNNT!**_ ”

Steve cleared his throat and started over. “Maybe the fact that—”

“ _Heh’ **KNNNT!**_ ”

“Jesus, Robin, really?”

She sniffled, scrubbing her nose with the palm of her hand. “Sorry, I had to sneeze.”

“Obviously. You’re sick!”

She ignored Steve, and continued to organize the store’s latest arrivals: _Ghostbusters_ , _Gremlins_ , and _Star Trek III: The Search for Spock_. “I am not.”

Steve let her work in quiet for a few minutes, listening to her constant sniffles. He watched Robin’s hands start to shake as she picked up the store’s copy of _The Karate Kid_ just before she lost her losing battle.

“ _Hh’ **XXXXT!** Heh’ **PSHH!**_ ”

“Hey, Robin?” Steve asked innocently, standing behind her.

“Yeah?” She turned around, not expecting him to be so close to her, and didn’t even see his hand coming in to feel her forehead.

Steve’s mouth dropped open at the temperature of her skin. Robin ducked away from him, but it was too late.

“Robin, you have a fever!”

She shook her head, laughing. “You wish. It’s just because I b-biked here and I’m still — _hh’ **NNSHHH!**_ — I’m still — _hh’ **SHHHH!**_ ” Robin sneezed fiercely, trying her best to hold her sneezes in. “ _Hoo_. It’s because I’m still hot and sweaty from my ride.”

Steve stared at her in disbelief. “You’ve sneezed like 80 times just in the first few minutes of your shift.”

“Listen Steve,” Robin said, furiously rubbing her nose before she began speaking. “I’m telling you, this is just one moment in time. Okay? So in life, you have thousands of these moments and you just… you just…” She trailed off, her eyes watering and her face going slack.

“You just…?”

“ _Hah’ **RSHHHH!** Hap’ **SHHHH!**_ ”

“Okay, gotcha. So that was just your fever talking.” 


	10. Avoiding Statistics

Jonathan and Steve were at the local Hawkins library, studying for once.

Normally, Steve liked to do things on his own, but statistics wasn’t his forte. He wasn’t sure it was anyone’s forte until Nancy off-handedly mentioned how good at it Jonathan was. So he’d agreed to help Steve with an assignment but had come down with a cold the night before.

“ _Heh’ **TSCHUHH!**_ ”

The sneeze startled Steve completely and he looked up from a stat problem to see Jonathan scrubbing at his nose with the back of his hand.

“Bless you,” Steve said, somewhat suspiciously. “Are you sick?”

Jonathan glanced at him nervously and shook his head. His voice was hoarse and he didn’t want to respond right away if he didn’t have to.

As Steve continued to scribble away at the problem on his worksheet, Jonathan sniffled and eventually put his head down at the table to close his eyes for a second. The table’s surface was cool and felt incredible on Jonathan’s skin. He sighed contently, without really meaning to.

He was exhausted and had been up all night, coughing. What he really wanted to do was sleep but he did promise he’d help Steve.

“Um, Jonathan?”

Jonathan was ripped out of his thoughts by Steve poking him on the shoulder with a pencil. “You want to just call it a day? I think I get it.”

Jonathan sat up and peered over at Steve’s worksheet. “You haven’t even finished the first problem.”

“Yeah, I know,” Steve said, noticing Jonathan’s flushed cheeks and feeling a twinge of guilt. “I know, but really, I think I get it now. Let’s just go.”

“If it’s because you think I’m sick, I’m not,” Jonathan told him. “I was just up late, that’s all.”

Steve shook his head. “I don’t know, I mean, you’re eyes are all glassy and you’re…” He trailed off to reach a hand out and feel Jonathan’s forehead. Jonathan was so surprised he didn’t even try to stop Steve.

“I mean, you definitely have a fever, okay? I know that,” Steve said, clucking. “I say we head home.”

“You’re just trying to — _hih’ **SCZSHHUH**_ — trying to get out of statistics,” Jonathan said as he sneezed into the crook of his arm. He blinked dizzily and willed the world in front of him to stop spinning.

“Lets. Go. Home,” Steve insisted, packing up Jonathan’s bag for him. “And Jonathan?”

“Y-yeah?” Jonathan stammered, in the midst of fighting of a sneeze.

“Bless—”

“ _H-hih’ **KSSZCHUHH!**_ ”

“Bless you.”


	11. Making It Through

“Well, if it isn’t Jonathan the pervert,” Steve announced snidely, slamming Jonathan’s locker shut and nearly missing his fingers. “Whatcha up to, loser?”

Steve’s posse was positioned around him, as usual: Nancy, slightly behind him to his right; Carol, arms akimbo, on his left; and Tommy H. to his right, grinning per usual. 

Jonathan glanced up at him nervously, trying not to sniffle. He’d been hit with a cold that’d been going around school and felt like death itself. He swallowed anxiously and winced at how badly his throat hurt. 

“Physics,” he told Steve hoarsely, reaching up to spin his combination again. 

As his fingers spun the knob, Jonathan pretended Steve wasn’t still staring at him. _49… 13…_

“ _H-heh’ **CHSSHUH!** Hap’ **SHHH!**_ ” 

He sneezed twice off to the side and goosebumps ran along his arms — a belated response to his sneezes. Jonathan shivered involuntarily and mentally scolded himself for it. Why did he always have to look so weak? 

“Poor baby,” Tommy clucked, puckering his lips and making kissing noises. “Not feeling well today?” 

Jonathan ignored him and opened his locker, gathering his textbooks into his arms. “Just leave me alone.” 

His eyes watered terribly and he tried to blink away the itchy tears. _Fuck,_ he needed to sneeze again. As they all watched him and Carol opened her mouth to say something snide, Jonathan’s breath caught and he knew he was screwed. 

“ _I-ihhh… hihH! Heh’ **TSCHHH! TSHZSHHH!**_ ” 

He stumbled as a result of the sneezes and his books tumbled to the floor. The group laughed (save for Nancy), but Steve felt an odd twinge of guilt.

“Dumbass,” Tommy said in between giggles, but Steve gestured for them to go. 

Jonathan sniffled as he scrambled to pick up his books. 

“Let’s go guys,” Steve said, nonchalantly kicking “Principles of Physcis” toward Jonathan. “We’ll leave Snotathan to his business.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to message me about my commissions!


	12. Guilty Rides in the Rain

A large thunderclap resounds around Steve and Robin as they ride their bicycles through the pouring rain. At the loud sound, Steve ducks instinctively, making Robin roll her eyes. 

“Steve, I hate to break this to you, but thunder can’t actually touch you,” Robin said, absent-mindedly rubbing her dripping nose on the underside of her wrist. 

“It’s not the thunder I’m scared of,” Steve said as they turned the corner. “It’s what comes after. This is why I don’t ride my bike to work. Why not? Because I’m an adult with a car and you are too.” 

“ _H-hah’ **KTSSSH! TSSSH!**_ ” 

Steve turned behind him to look in the direction of the sounds. He groaned when he watched Robin’s eyes flutter shut again. 

“ _H-hehh… hahhH!_ ”

Her mouth stretched into a yawn of a sneeze, then dissipated. Robin sniffled and tried to concentrate on not crashing. Since Steve was still looking at her, she struggled. “Lost it.” 

“You really shouldn’t be riding in the rain with a cold, Robin. That’s like health 101.” 

“Did you ever even take health?” she asked thickly as they turned another corner. 

Just a few more blocks until a warm shower. 

“Yes I did,” Steve argued, shaking the water from his hair as they rode. “I’m very well-versed in health, especially sexual health.” 

“You are disgusting,” Robin said, laughing. “Such a guy. Is sex all you think about when you’re around w-women? Even women you _c-cahh_ … can’t — _hh’ **TSSSSH!**_ — cad’t have?”

Robin unintentionally yanked her handlebars due to the sheer force of the sneeze and had to dramatically overcorrect. She knew she was going to fall before it happened. 

“Shit,” Steve mumbled under his breath as he turned around. 

Robin was on the wet pavement, her dripping hair in her face. It looked like her knees were skinned but other than that, she seemed okay.

“You alright?” he asked, just to confirm. 

She looked up and opened her mouth to reply, but snapped forward with a series of ticklish sneezes instead. “ _ **TSSSHH!** Ahh… hahhH! Hah’ **TSSSHP!**_ ”

A shiver tore through her, chilling her to her core, and Steve felt a twinge of guilt for not being more adamant about not riding in the rain. 

“Let’s just get you home, okay? We’re only a few blocks away.” 

“I fell off by bike, stupid,” Robin said thickly. “I sdill kdow where I ab, you kdow.” 


	13. A Black-Tie Affair

Steve Harrington was absolutely miserable.

The entire Harrington family was at a dinner as a part of the conference his father had to attend for work. Mr. Harrington worked as the CEO of an up-and-coming engineering firm and for Steve, attending this black-tie dinner was strictly mandatory. Under no circumstances was Steve to miss it.

Which is precisely why — as Steve sat at one of the round tables alone — he was also snuffling into a handkerchief.

“ _H-huhhh… hh’ **TSSSHUH!**_ ”

The sound of his sneeze was muffled thanks to the handkerchief, but Steve still got a few dirty looks from those around him. He sniffled miserably and stuffed the handkerchief back into his coat pocket.

Without much warning, everyone in the venue began clapping vigorously and Steve’s father briskly walked out onto the stage, grinning. As soon as he began to speak, Mrs. Harrington at his side of course, Steve felt his nose begin to itch. 

_Not now, for God’s sake,_ he thought, discreetly rubbing the underside of his nose with a knuckle.

“I’ve been with this company for the last two years, if you all can believe it,” his father was saying. “The institute as a whole has—”

With shaking hands, Steve tugged the handkerchief back out of his coat pocket and hurriedly pressed it to his face before the impending sneezing fit.

“ _H-heh’ **KSSSSHHF!** H-huhhh… h-hih’ **MMMPF!**_ ”

Despite being a few hundred feet from the stage, Steve could feel his father staring at him and with a sinking realization, felt he was going to sneeze again. Damn this cold.

He pinched his nostrils shut cruelly through the handkerchief and pitched forward with two more unsatisfying sneezes. “ _Hh’ **KNNT!** H-hih’ **GNT!**_ ”

Though his face was flushing, Steve felt his nostrils relax and sniffled, tucking the handkerchief away once again. Maybe next time his parents wouldn’t make him attend an event when he was ill. 


	14. Jonathan Learns About Hobbit-lore

“Oh, Jonathan,” Nancy murmurs, brushing his sweaty hair out of his face. “I’m so sorry.”

“What are you talking about?” he says, sniffling and sitting up a little more in bed. “I’m fine!”

Except he’s not fine. He’s got a cold and it’s really taken a toll these past few days. They both have not been in the newsroom for a few days and Nancy (as much as she loves taking care of Jonathan) secretly misses it. She pushes the thought out of her mind.

“It’s my fault you’re sick,” she says, climbing into bed next to him. “I knew we shouldn’t have stayed out so late. You’re exhausted.”

Before he can answer, his eyelashes flutter shut and he quickly cups his hands over his nose. “ _H-huhhh… hh’ **FSSSSH! HUFSSSCH!**_ ”

“Bless you,” she whispers, kissing his cheek. “Need a tissue?”

He shakes his head, sniffling. “I just want to be back at work.”

Thank God he feels that way too. “I know, but you really need to just rest for now. You hungry? I can fix you some soup.”

Jonathan shakes his head again and rubs his nose a little. “I’m okay. Just a little tired.”

“Want me to read to you?”

“Read to me?” Jonathan scoffs. “Nancy, I’m sick, not five years old.”

But truthfully, he does want her to read to him. Her voice is perfect for storytelling and in general, she’s a great storyteller. Probably comes with being a journalist, but—

He quickly draws in a sharp breath and pitches forward. “ _Heh’ **TSSSDZSCHH!**_ ”

Nancy jumps in spite of herself. “Wow, that was a big one. You sure you don’t want me to read to you? I mean, I’ve been reading _Lord of the Rings_ you know, and I think you’d probably love it.”

Jonathan’s too tired to admit that he’s read it before, so he just nods. “Okay, sure.”

“We’ll start with the first chapter,” she says, leaning back into him. “This book is largely concerned with Hobbits, and from its pages a reader may discover much of their character and a little of their history.”

Jonathan inconspicuously presses a knuckle underneath his flaring nostrils and wills himself not to sneeze. This is the worst headcold he’s had in years probably and he really, really has to sneeze.

“Further information will also be found in the selection from the Red Book of Westmarch that has already been published, under the title of The Hobbit,” Nancy continues. “That story was derived from the earlier chapters of the Red Book, composed by Bilbo himself, the first Hobbit to become famous in the world at large, and called by him There and Back Again, since they told of his journey into the East and his return—”

“ _Hh’ **RRSSSCHH!** Hahhh… ahhH! **RSSSSHHUH!**_ ”

He scrubs at his nose, willing the tickle to let him be and listen to Nancy’s story.

“—an adventure which later involved all the Hobbits in the great events of that Age that are here related,” Nancy reads, pushing through Jonathan’s sneezing fit.

“ _H-hih’ **KKSSSHT!** Ggnnh…_”

The final sneeze is barely restrained and he groans with the force of it.

“Excuse be,” he mutters quietly.

Nancy clucks at him. “Shhh… it’s okay. Want me to keep going?”

Jonathan nods, burying his trembling nose into a tissue before he can sneeze again.

“Many, however, may wish to know more about this remarkable people   
from the outset, while some may not possess the earlier book,” Nancy reads, laying her head on Jonathan’s chest as she continues. “For such readers a few notes on the more important points are here collected from Hobbit-lore, and the first adventure is briefly recalled.”

As she reads on, Jonathan feels his eyes close and prays that he’ll just fall asleep and there will be absolutely no more sneezes for at least one chapter. Unfortunately, he’s not that lucky.


	15. Summer Cold

Despite the high temperatures and copious sunlight, Billy found himself in the lifeguard’s chair, shivering. He knew he was sick and he knew the minimum wage he made wasn’t worth coming into work sick, but secretly (or not so secretly) he longed to see Mrs. Wheeler in her teal and magenta bathing suit. Now that was worth it.

Billy briefly took of his sunglasses to get a better view, but felt a familiar tickle in his sinuses as a stream of sunlight hit him right in the eyes.

“ _H-huh’ **CHSSHOO!**_ ”

He blearily opened both eyes before gripping the sides of the lifeguard chair and sneezing again. “ _H-hehhh… hh’ **SSSHCHOO!**_ ”

Quite frankly, it was terrifying sneezing from six feet above concrete.

Rubbing a finger under his nose, Billy sniffled and secretly wished Max could keep her germs to herself. She hung around those ratty kids way too often for his liking, and—

“ _Ah’ **TSCHHHOO!**_ ”

God, this was humiliating. He scrubbed at his itching nose again and wished he could blow his nose. Honestly, he was going to need to soon what with the way he was sneezing.

A small boy ran past the edges of the pool.

“Walk!” Billy croaked out, in a lame attempt at a yell.

He took a peek a Mrs. Wheeler to see what she was up to. Of course, she was stretched out in a pool chair, basking in the sun’s rays with the other neighborhood mothers. Her lips were plump and red — she’d obviously just applied lipstick — and she was sipping Coca-Cola out of a can with a straw. Billy began to imagine her sucking on something else, something other than the straw.

A stray breeze caused his nostrils to quiver and he silently cursed his cold-sensitive nose as he began hitching.

“ _H-hahhh… ehhh… eh’ **TSHHOO!** Huh’ **CHSSHOO!** Hahhh… hihH!_”

But the sneeze was stuck. Eyes watering and without his better judgement, Billy fanned the space in front of him in a desperate attempt to coax the sneeze out.

“ _Hih’ **SSSHCHOO!**_ ”

His blond curls tumbled forward into his face and he snuffled into the back of his wrist, slightly embarrassed. Maybe coming into work today wasn’t such a good idea.


	16. Vulnerable

When Steve clocked in at Scoops Ahoy, Robin was behind the counter… fast asleep. She was snoring gently when he approached her. 

“Uh… hey, Robin?” Steve asked, peeking underneath Robin’s work hat.

She woke up and jumped at the sound of Steve’s voice, clearly startled. “Jesus! Really, Steve?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay!” Steve said, shrugging. “Besides, should you really be sleeping on the job?”

“Besides, should you really b-be — _hh’ **TSHHH!**_ — talking b-back to your elders?” Robin shot back, arms folded.

Steve opened his mouth to speak, but closed it before opening it again. “But… I’m older than you.”

Robin looked like she was going to say something, but sneezed instead. “I— _h-hehhh… heh’ **TSSSSHUH! TSSSH!**_ ”

“Bless you,” Steve offered, sitting down next to her. “You feelin’ okay?”

Robin rolled her eyes, per usual. “Duh. I’m fine, Steve. Leave me — _huh’ **TSSSH!**_ — leave me alone.”

He knew she was sick, but Steve reflected her attitude and shrugged. “Whatever. I’m going to restock the forks so holler if you need me.”

As Steve busied himself in the back room, Robin nonchalantly felt her own forehead. She had a fever, that was for sure. Honestly, she felt like complete shit but was trying to make as much money as she could and who could blame her?

God, she felt hot. Still sitting, she looked around for a rag she could dip in some cold water. There was one a few feet away. Good.

Robin stood up — perhaps too fast — and felt dizzy. She tried desperately to focus on the rag in front of her before her vision went blurry. Somewhere far away, there was a sort of crashing sound and she briefly felt the cold tile against her skin. Then nothing.

* * *

“Christ, Robin,” Steve was saying, shaking Robin’s shoulders. “What happened?”

She blearily opened one eye and saw Steve leaning over her, very close to her face. Her nostrils quivered and she weakly tried to push him away. “I’m g-gonna— _huh’ **SSSSH! TSSSSHUH!**_ ”

“Bless you,” Steve said sincerely, helping her into a seated position. “We should probably get you home.”

“I’b fide,” Robin muttered quietly, still trying to inch away from him. “Leave b-be _ahhh… ah’ **TSSSHHH!**_ Leave be alode.”

Steve nervously ran his hands through his hair. “We’re going home, okay? Someone’s going to take care of you, even if you don’t want it to be me.”


End file.
